Though buying and selling textbooks can be both a stressful and difficult experience, Textlynk, a student-run website, offers students an opportunity to accomplish both in a simple way.
Textlynk, which will be launched Nov. 1 for Binghamton University students, resembles a ‘Craigslist for textbooks,’ said Kevin Kearney, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering and one of the co-creators of Textlynk.
‘It combines the convenience of a local bookstore with the competitive prices online ‘ without the hassle of either,’ he said.
Dylan Hobe, a 2008 BU alumnus and co-creator of Textlynk, expressed his belief that the creation could transform the way textbooks are bought and sold, helping students manage the rising cost of college.
‘Students have limited options of getting rid of their textbooks: they can either sell it back to the bookstore and get very little money back for it, or they can post the book online and then spend more time and money to pack and ship it,’ said Hobe, who majored in management information systems and consultation. ‘Students re-use textbooks semester after semester, so Textlynk can act as a platform for them to buy and sell their books to other students right on campus.’
It took these BU students one-and-a-half years to create a website worthy of widespread use.
In his sophomore year at BU, Kearney wanted to create a website but was unsure what it should be about. Kearney proceeded to call his swim team teammate, Hobe, who was also interested in creating a website, and Hobe soon joined Kearney in his endeavor.
After brainstorming ideas for the next two months, Hobe was walking around his room when he saw a large stack of old textbooks next to the wall. Inspired, he decided the website should be a place where students could take care of this problem.
That summer, Kearney and Hobe went straight to work on Textlynk. But they encountered some difficulties in programming and coding the website, as well as obtaining a large enough database of textbooks. At this point, a 2009 BU graduate who was also on the swim team with them, John Blatchford, became a third member of the Textlynk team.
Blatchford not only obtained a large database for textbooks, but also enlisted the help of a company called Dark Horse Marketing to help them properly program the site, ensuring Textlynk will be a secure, reputable and user-friendly place for students.
Hobe adds that Textlynk is an ‘outlet for [them]. It’s nice to flex our creative muscle, pour our energy into something and see it grow from day one.’
In a generation where the Internet is booming with possibilities, creating a website is fast becoming a popular approach to gaining some income. But according to the Textlynk creators, this was never their intention.
In fact, Kearney, Hobe and Blatchford have spent nearly $5,000 out of their own pockets to create Textlynk.
‘Our No. 1 goal is to create something useful for students,’ Hobe said. ‘Once we accomplish generating enough traffic on the web, then success will come.’
Any financial benefits that may be gained from Textlynk, such as the possible placement of advertisements, is more of an afterthought than the main purpose for the website.
‘We want to help students make money,’ Kearney said. ‘Besides selling their textbooks, there will also be a feature where students can sell the study guides they made for their classes.’
With the official launch of the website around the corner, the Textlynk creators express hopes that they will receive feedback to continuously update the website and respond to their users’ needs.
‘A product is only as good as the amount of people who use it. So feedback from our users would not only be greatly appreciated, but it will also help us build a better Textlynk so students can reap more benefits from it,’ Kearney said.
Until its launch on Nov. 1, students can learn more about Textlynk on Facebook and their Twitter page, www.twitter.com/Textlynk. Though Textlynk will be limited to BU students for its initial launch, the creators do hope to expand it to other schools.